Electric Guitarist

Performer: John McLaughlin (Jazz)
Artist: Chick Corea; Stanley Clarke; Carlos Santana; Jack Bruce; Narada Michael Walden; Tony Williams; David Sanborn
Distributor: Sony Music Distribution (

Notes: Personnel: John McLaughlin (guitar); David Sanborn (alto saxophone); Jerry Goodman (violin); Stu Goldberd (electric piano, organ; Mini-Moog Synthesizer); Chick Corea (piano, Mini-Moog synthesizer); Patrice Rushen (piano);Tom Coster (organ); Stanley Clarke (acoustic bass); Alphonso Johnson (Taurus bass pedals, bass); Fernando Saunders, Neil Jason, Jack Bruce (bass); Carlos Santana (guitar); Narada Michael Walden Jack DeJohnette, Tony Williams, Billy Cobham (drums); Armando Peraza (congas); Alyrio Lima (percussion). Recorded at Sound Mixer Studios, New York, New York and at Devonshire Studios, North Hollywood, California. All tracks have been digitally remastered. Electric Guitarist is an album of reconciliation and penance, a series of reunions with several former colleagues from the early jazz-rock days, some of whom had parted on bitter terms with John McLaughlin. But there are no egos out of control here; everyone has grown up, and partly as a result, there is a high level of musical inspiration devoid of pointless decibel wars. Jerry Goodman and Billy Cobham of the first Mahavishnu Orchestra show up first, then a genial reunion with Carlos Santana, which has some of the old fire. From this point on, the CD undergoes a clever systematic reduction in numbers -- first to five players, then four (the great combination of Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke and Jack DeJohnette), then three (a delightfully loose reunion of Lifetimers Tony Williams and Jack Bruce), then two (a fierce duel with Cobham), and finally just McLaughlin himself delivering the benediction on, of all things, "My Foolish Heart." Jazz is the dominant flavor in these fusions, often in a more restrained manner than the early-'70s sessions, and it pointed the way toward a new musical maturity for McLaughlin the electric guitarist. ~ Richard S. Ginell

Q (5/92, p.97) - 2 Stars - Average - "..a genteel and considered affair that doesn't entirely conceal McLaughlin's mounting sense of ennui.."

An extremely influential jazz guitarist, John McLaughlin also explored blues, flamenco, and Indian music, and was one of the founders of the 1970s jazz/rock fusion movement. Originally a contemporary of British blues devotees Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck, McLaughlin soon expanded his musical horizons considerably, while simultaneously developing a highly technical guitar style that fused jazz harmony with blinding speed and powerful rock-like attack. After playing on Miles Davis's groundbreaking BITCHES BREW record and pledging his allegiance to guru Sri Chimnoy, McLaughlin formed the pioneering fusion outfit Mahavishnu Orchestra and later the Indian classical music-influenced acoustic group Shakti. In addition, he started noted acoustic guitar trios with Paco De Lucia, Larry Coryell, and Al Dimeola and continued to educate and inspire musicians into the new millennium.

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